Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
chitosan macromolecules are adsorbed on the surface of the
CNTs, and acting as polymer cationic surfactants to stabilize
the CNTs,
(ii) In the ammonia solution, the chitosan becomes non-dissolvable
in aqueous media, and the chitosan deposits on the surface of
the carbon nanotubes forming a layer of chitosan coating.
(iii) The blend is heated to 60
°
C and treated with glutaraldehyde
for the cross-linking of the surface-deposited chitosan.
This treatment provides a strong ixing the chitosan coatings
to the CNTs [41]. The images of carbon MWCNTs with chitosan
are shown on Fig. 10.7. The chitosan surface-decoration results
in the surfaces of carbon nanotubes fully covered with chitosan
protuberances. The CNT bundles are slightly stretched after the
surface decoration and CNTs-bundles are bound together by the
chitosan coatings.
Figure 10.7
SEM image of pristine MWCNTs (a) and (b), and the
corresponding chitosan surface-decorated MWCNTs (c) and
(d) [41].
Akasaka and Watari investigated the oral bacterial adhesion to
CNTs of different diameters and lexibility, and compared them with
the widely used adsorbent, activated carbon (AC) particles [3]. Among
